Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-05-19
How French Ballet Dancers are
Taught

This is how ballet dancers are trained;
Every day the pupil imprisons her feet
in pair of narrow cases, in which,
heel to heel, the tortured limbs are
accustomed to remain in parallel posi-
tiop, After lalf an hour in these cases
another torture is substituted. This
time one foot is placed on bar, which
is held by the hand opposite to the foot
which is being exercised, and both foot
and hand are changed at the word OF
command. And il must not be imagined
that these hard tests have to be under
gone only for certain time. They have
always to be continued il the dancer
wishes topreserve her elasticity. A single
week of rest has to be paid for with sever.
nj months ef double and uninterrupted
work. The fable Of Sisyphus and his
rock is realized by the ballet dancer.
She is the race. horse which pays with
its rest its embonpoint, and its liberty
for the rapid victories in the field. Nj.
A. Second tells ia his curious "Petits
Mysteres do rOpera" that Mile. Tagli-
chi, after two hours lesson by her
father, fell fainting on the hoor OF her
room and remained unconscious while
she was undressed, sponged and re-
dressed. The lightness OF her marvel
ous dancing before the audience was
paid for with such price. Mile. Tag
lioni's example is vigorously followed by
ether dancers, and there are some who,
through bodily defects, have unusual
difficulties to overcome. and who torture
themselves with barbarous ferocity.
The daily exercises having come to an
end, all the different steps are gone
through, the Professor rapidly indicat-
ing the change from one step to an
other. And hox hot the poor creatures
becomel Some moan and sigh; some
gasp and cough; others can scarcely
stand on their feet. With the dancers
only the legs grow stout, sometimes, in
deed, too much so. but their arms, the ir
shoulders and their chests are pitiful
sght.
At a dancing lesson on the stage of
the Paris Opera all the ladies are dressed
in cotton or flinnel, which leaves their
arms aud shoulders bare. with garment
down to their knees, and boots like the
eothurnus. Tho wealthy among them
have costly fur coats; the poor have
thin. shabby shawls or waterproofs to
wrap themselves 10 after the performance
is over. 0n the stage two dim lights
are burning; several gentlemen stand
about, one of them carrying baton.
The orchestra consists of two violins.
The maitre de ballet, .ating the
foor with his baton, calls out; Now
then, ladies, silence, if you please! We
begin again. The second tableau." And
assuming tho attitude which his pupils
are to assume, he shouts; "Attention
The prison scene and the prisoners step
You are chained -you-yon, sacre bleu'
Look toward the skyl toward the sky,
7 tell you! Cross your hands and put one
foot forward Unfaslen your hands
Qaickiyl Put your foot back" Not
iufrequently the baton is used for Other
purposes than merely to beat time, and
tho lesson goes on amid soolding and
cursing. All the dancers take part in it,
from the very young, poor and the limo
cent, who try to embellish themselves
with bunch of violets or piece o.
bright ribbon and pair of brass earrings
10 the graad ladies sparkliug with dia
monds, from behind the dim scenes, like
Iodian idols in the depths of the pagoda'
ofJuggernaut